Photo of the Day | Hong Kong Skyline 1986

Photo of the Day | Hong Kong Skyline 1986

In 1986 I was was doing a lot of photography. Both my wife and I were taking college photography classes, and doing some semi-professional work.

This photograph was taken from the top floor of a hotel parking lot on Kowloon looking across the harbor toward Hong Kong Island. I wanted to capture the skyline with the lights from the passing boats to add the interest. I had scouted various locations during several of my Hong Kong layovers, and this was the best.

This was a timed photo of about 5 minutes so that's why you see the boat lights but the boats are not visible.

The boat at the dock on the left is a people ferry that goes from Kowloon to Hong Kong Island. It was there and stationary the entire time. On the right is a freight barge at a long dock which serves to frame in the image and add more color.

The lines of light coming in towards the bottom and curving left is a tour boat that I knew was scheduled to arrive. So I set up and waited for about a half hour for that boat to come in; and as it arrived I opened the shutter to begin the time. The light lines are the boats navigation lights, and the light shining beside it on the water is the lights that were inside the tour boat, reflecting on the water.

I had taken a bunch of shots before this tour boat arrived, and this turned out to be the best. It was worth the half hour wait. When I took the negative to Image West to develop, they liked the photo and asked permission to use it in their calendar.

The Camera

The camera was a Pentax 6 x 7, and with that large negative you can get a huge print. We have a 24 x 32 inch print framed and hanging on one of our walls. I would love to go to Hong Kong again and get a new shot with the skyline changed after 24 years. Maybe next year.

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